IT Gameday: TCU

It’s gameday, y’all. UT heads to Fort Worth as the underdog to the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs. We talk UT-TCU in the Gameplan, By the Numbers, The IT Roundtable, and the Scoop. Here’s our Texas-TCU game thread.

Inside Scoop (10/2/15) – team notes, OT update, recruiting interviews

IT Roundtable: Week 5 – TCU

Inside the Gameplan: Opportunities in Fort Worth

HALL: TCU is Not Elite, Yet

Inside Texas Podcast with Justin & Ian (guests Adam Ulatoski, Brandon Foster, and JD Moore)

BY THE NUMBERS – Texas at No. 4/6 TCU

Kick is set for 11 a.m. from Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. The game will kick at 11:07 a.m. Central and air nationally on ABC. The Longhorn IMG Radio Network broadcast, including flagship 104.9 FM in Austin, begins at 10:30 a.m. Listen on participating Longhorn Radio Network affiliates, including the Austin Radio Network. The game can also be heard online at TexasSports.com.

Quick hits

• Saturday’s game will pit former Southwest Conference rivals now reunited in the Big 12 against each other for the fourth time since TCU joined the league.

• Texas enters the contest after a heart-breaking loss at home to No. 24/22 Oklahoma State, 30-27.

• The Longhorns registered two touchdowns on defense with a fumble and interception returned to paydirt. It was the first time since Oct. 31, 2009, against Oklahoma State the Longhorns had two defensive touchdowns in the same game.

Scouting the Horned Frogs

• TCU welcomes Texas to Fort Worth this weekend after escaping with a 55-52 win at Texas Tech last Saturday, after the Horned Frogs scored a touchdown with 23 seconds left.

• The Horned Frogs have been one of the most prolific offenses this season scoring 23, 70, 56 and 55 points in their four contests so far. TCU is averaging 636.5 yards per game as well.

• TCU receiver Josh Doctson was named Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week for his showing at Texas Tech. He had 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

• Quarterback Trevone Boykin entered the 2015 season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. After throwing for 33 touchdowns last year, he already has tallied 14 so far and averages 367.5 yards per game.

Series history

• Texas leads the all-time series against TCU, 62-22-1, after the Horned Frogs won, 48-10, in Austin last year.

• Since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012, TCU has won two of the three games in the series.

• In the last 10 meetings, Texas is 7-3 against TCU with the other loss coming in 1992.

• Texas is 27-9 against TCU on the road.

Many Happy Returns

• Texas leads the nation with three defensive touchdowns on the year. Tied with the Longhorns are four other schools: Buffalo, Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss, Ohio State.

• The Longhorns had two defensive touchdowns against Oklahoma State (Sept. 26) when Hassan Ridgeway returned a fumble 34 yards and Holton Hill returned an interception 41 yards. It was the first time since Oct. 31, 2009 that Texas had two defensive touchdowns in the same game, which also happened to be against Oklahoma State.

• Malik Jefferson returned a fumble 28 yards against Rice (Sept. 12) to register the first defensive touchdown of the season for the Longhorns.

• Also against Rice, Daje Johnson returned a punt 85 yards for a score. That gives Texas two games this season with multiple non-offensive touchdowns.

Defense Shows Improvement

• The Longhorns struggled defensively during their opening three games, allowing an average of 37.0 points and 512.3 yards per game, including 240.7 yards rushing per contest. In Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State, UT’s defense surrendered 395 total yards, including 103 rushing yards on 46 carries (2.2 avg.).

• UT scored two defensive TDs against Oklahoma State – a 34-yard fumble return by Hassan Ridgeway and a 41-yard interception return by Holton Hill

• In the fourth quarter, Texas held the Cowboys to just 26 yards of total offense on 14 plays (1.9 yards per play).

Jefferson Makes Immediate Impact

• True freshman LB Malik Jefferson has made an immediate impact on the Texas defense. Through his first four collegiate games (all starts), Jefferson ranks second on the team in total tackles with 29 (16 solo). He also has added 3.5 TFL, five quarterback hurries, one PBU and one fumble recovery (returned 26 yards for a TD).

• Tied for the team lead with nine tackles (three solo) against Cal (Sept. 19)

• Team-high nine tackles (six solo), including one TFL, four QB hurries and one fumble recovery in the home win against Rice (Sept. 12)

• Returned the fumble against Rice 26 yards for a TD, marking his first collegiate touchdown

• Posted nine tackles (five solo), including 2.5 TFL, in the season-opening loss at Notre Dame (Sept. 5).

Ridgeway Comes up Big

• Junior DT Hassan Ridgeway has played in 29 career games (11 starts) and was named to the 2015 preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy. He battled through a back injury throughout fall camp and came off the bench in the first three games this year. Ridgeway earned his first start of the season in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State and responded with a solid effort. For the year, he is tied for sixth on the team in total tackles with 16 (13 solo) and tied for the team lead in TFL (3.5).

• Made his first start of the season against Oklahoma State (Sept. 26) and registered six tackles (four solo), including 1.5 TFL, one sack and one fumble recovered for a 34-yard TD.

• The fumble recovery marked the first of Ridgeway’s career

• In his first three contests (all off the bench), Ridgeway recorded 10 total tackles (nine solo), including two TFL.

Hill Records Pick-Six

• True freshman CB Holton Hill delivered in a huge way during Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State. Hill recorded his first career interception and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. He also posted two solo tackles and one PBU. For the year, he has tallied seven tackles (all solo).

• The last time a true freshman returned an interception for a touchdown was Sept. 27, 2008 when Aaron Williams ran a pick-six versus Arkansas. Williams currently plays for the Buffalo Bills.